1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ice maker of a refrigerator, and particularly, to an ice maker of a refrigerator which is able to prevent a damage and a wrong operation due to contact of a water supplying apparatus and the ice maker during a separating process of the ice maker.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, an ice maker is a device installed additionally on a freezing apparatus and on a cooling apparatus for making ices using a cooling cycle disposed on the freezing and cooling apparatuses.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator including a general ice maker.
The conventional refrigerator comprises an ice making vessel 2 for freezing water in order to provide a user with ices, a containing vessel 4 installed on a lower part of the ice making vessel 2 for storing the ices made in the ice making vessel 2, and a dispenser 6 for providing the user with water. In addition, the ice making vessel 2 and the dispenser 6 are connected to a water supplying apparatus respectively to be supplied the water.
The water supplying device comprises: a first water supplying pipe 10 connected to a rear portion of a refrigerator main body 8 to supply the water from a water supplying source on outer part into the refrigerator, a switching valve 12 connected to the first water supplying pipe 10 to perform switching operation, a second water supplying pipe 14 connected to the switching valve 12 to supply the water to the ice making vessel 2, and a third water supplying pipe 15 connected to the switching valve 12 to supply the water to the dispenser 6.
Herein, the switching valve 12 connects the first water supplying pipe 10 to one of the second water supplying pipe 14 and the third water supplying pipe 15 to supply the water selectively to the ice making vessel 2 and to the dispenser 6.
In addition, a water tank 18 which is able to store a predetermined amount of water is connected to the third water supplying pipe 15.
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the water supplying device which supplies the water to the ice making vessel according to the conventional art.
The second water supplying pipe 14 is connected to the switching valve 12 and extended upward on the rear portion of the main body 8 of the refrigerator, and connected to a water supplying pipe for ice making 16 inserted into the refrigerator.
The water supplying pipe for ice making 16 is disposed to be slanted as a certain angle so as to supply the water easily into the ice making vessel 2, and an inlet 20 of the pipe 16 is located on an upper part of the ice making vessel 2 with a certain gap from the ice making vessel 2.
Operations of the ice maker for the refrigerator constructed as above according to the conventional art will be described as follows.
When the water is supplied from the outer water supplying source through the first water supplying pipe 10 and the switching valve 12 is operated, the water is induced into the second water supplying pipe 14 and the water is supplied into the ice making vessel 2 through the water supplying pipe 16 for ice making connected to the second water supplying pipe 14.
Then, the water filled in the ice making vessel 2 is frozen by the operation of the cooling cycle, and when the ice making is completed, the ice making vessel 2 is rotated to transfer the ices to the storing vessel 4.
However, according to the ice maker for the refrigerator of the conventional art, when some difference is generated during installing the water supplying pipe for ice making 16 to narrow the gap between the inlet 20 of the water supplying pipe for ice making 16 and the ice making vessel 2, the ice making vessel 2 is crashed into the water supplying pipe for ice making 16 when the ice making vessel 2 is rotated in the ice separating process. And accordingly, the ice making vessel 2 or the water supplying pipe for ice making 16 may be damaged, or the water supplying pipe for ice making 16 is escaped from the original position, and thereby, the water is not supplied precisely into the ice making vessel 2.
Also, since the water is supplied from the water supplying pipe for ice making 16 to the ice making vessel 2 in free fall, the water may be splashed out of the ice making vessel 2 in case that pressure, amount or speed of the supplying water is not maintained evenly. And the water splashed out of the ice making vessel 2 may be induced into the storing vessel 4 installed on the lower part of the ice making vessel 2, and then, the ices stored in the storing vessel 4 are stuck to each other.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker of a refrigerator which is able to prevent respective components from being damaged by interference between an ice making vessel and a pipe which supplied water to the ice making vessel during an ice separating process and to improve reliability in ice making function.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker of a refrigerator which is able to prevent ices in a storing vessel from being stuck to each other by preventing the water supplied into an ice making vessel from being induced into the storing vessel.
To achieve the objects of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided an ice maker of a refrigerator comprising: an ice making vessel installed on a front portion of a refrigerator main body for making ices; a water supplying pipe for ice making installed on an upper part of the ice making vessel with a predetermined distance therebetween to supply the water into the ice making vessel; and a buffer member installed on the water supplying pipe for ice making in order to soften shock generated when the ice making vessel is rotated for ice separating process.
The buffer member comprises: a coupled portion which is coupled with an inlet of the water supplying pipe for ice making; and a buffer portion extended from the coupled portion as a predetermined length to guide the water into the ice making vessel and to buff the shock when the ice making vessel is contacted due to the rotation.
The buffer member is a pipe of cylindrical shape of rubber material.
Also, there is provided an ice maker of a refrigerator comprising: an ice making vessel installed on a front portion of a main body of the refrigerator to be rotatable to make ices; a water supplying pipe for ice making installed on an upper part of the ice making vessel with a predetermined distance therebetween for supplying water into the ice making vessel; a buffer member installed on the water supplying pipe for ice making to soften the shock by a contact with the ice making vessel when the ice making vessel is rotated for an ice separating process; and a guide member mounted on one side of the buffer member for guiding the water so that the water discharged from an outlet of the water supplying pipe only can be induced into the ice making vessel.
The guide member is mounted on upper part of the inlet of the buffer member as having a certain elastic force, and formed as a plate for covering the inlet of the buffer member as a certain width.
The guide member is formed as a plate of rubber material having a certain elastic force.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.